A New Friend
by Nyssane
Summary: Rolec and Gene find friendship in one another, and possibly more...minor slashyness, major intended cornyness...


At the crack of dawn, Rolec was eagerly slipping on his armor and gathering his belongings together. His roommate, Gareth, had already left for Theater Vancoor to train his fencing skills, but Rolec always trudged along. He figured there probably wouldn't be any missions for him -- yet again. There were never any missions for him, at least Thanos never sent him on any. He had been there for two months, and every day he would walk into Theater Vancoor with a hopeful smile on his face, yet he'd leave with a disappointed frown. He knew his skills weren't perfect, but his dreams of becoming a great warrior were motivation enough for him to keep returning to the knights' guild.

He glanced into the mirror as he was heading out. _Today is the day I become a hero_, he thought to himself. He smiled and walked out the door.

Fortunately, he didn't see anyone on the way to Theater Vancoor. Rolec was excruciatingly shy, and whenever he saw someone walking towards him, he was unsure whether he should look them in the eyes and say hello, or just keep walking. So instead he would turn around and flee, hiding behind a wall and hoping the person didn't see them. But today, he simply walked up the stairs into Theater Vancoor.

As he reached his hand out to open the door, it suddenly swung open and smacked him in the face. He fell backwards with a high-pitched groan.

"I'm so sorry, Rolec!" Aldo said, helping the smaller man up.

"No, it was my fault! I shouldn't have been standing there!" Rolec said, his voice slightly trembling. "I'm sorry!"

"Calm down, man," Aldo said, brushing the dust off Rolec. He was smiling, but Rolec couldn't tell with Aldo's huge helmet covering his entire face. "You okay?"

"Y-Yes! I'm great! How are you d-doing on this fine day!" Rolec asked.

"I'm doing well. Gerald asked me to meet him in the pub to discuss battle strategies, but I know he just wanted to go to get boozed up."

Rolec giggled loudly, then realized he was giggling. It was probably the most unmanly thing he could do, so he quickly covered his mouth in shame.

"Well, it was nice talking to you, but I really should go meet Gerald," Aldo said, waving and walking off.

Rolec sighed and walked into Theater Vancoor, cursing himself the entire time. _Why did you giggle? Why! Aldo must think you're a complete wuss! Just like everybody else does...God, why did you step in front of the door like that? It's all your fault! You're so clumsy and stupid_.

He walked downstairs into the main lobby and noticed Thanos sitting there. He bit his lip and crept up to him.

"G'morning, Thanos," Rolec said quietly.

"Good morning, Rolec. How are you doing?" Thanos replied, yawning.

"I'm great! I...I was wondering if there was a mission for me today?"

"I'm afraid not today, kid," Thanos said, then went back to doing paperwork. Rolec nodded sadly and walked over to the bulletin board. Sometimes they had little jobs for the warrior guild members to do, such as going to gather berries for the Vareth Magic Institute's experiments. Rolec never actually got up enough nerve to do one of these minor missions, but it made him feel better just being there.

"Morning, mother," Gene said, flopping down the stairs. His white hair was messy and tangled every which way, but he couldn't care less. He was going to be wearing his helmet the entire day, anyway.

"Good morning, sweetie!" Barbena said, looking up from her book. "Did you have a nice sleep?"

"Yeah."

"That's good," she smiled warmly at her son, then went back to her book. "Have fun training today, but don't get hurt!"

"I won't," he sighed. He hated the way his mother babied him, but in a way it also comforted him to know at least someone cared about his well-being. He put his helmet on and headed out the door, going straight to Theater Vancoor.

When he got there, Carlos was already sitting in the lobby, griping about his contact lens being lost in the sewer. He sat in the chair next to him, slouching and staring at the ceiling.

Carlos glared at Gene. "Hey, David! What's up, man!"

"Gene," Gene said.

"What?"

"I'm Gene."

"Wait..." Carlos began to squint. "Oh, I guess from over here you kinda look like David."

"David has red armor," Gene said, rolling his eyes. He glanced around the room. Thanos was scribbling something on a sheet of paper. Alicia was searching through the mission book, trying to find something that caught her eye. Then, some boy Gene wasn't too familiar with was standing by the bulletin board, staring aimlessly. He's seen the boy pretty much every day since Walter encouraged him to join the guild about a month ago. He often wondered if the boy would finally be given a chance to prove himself by receiving a mission or being put on a squad, but then he shoved the thoughts out of his head and figured the boy was probably an asshole or something; there must've been a reason why the guild didn't want to give him any missions.

"See anything you like?" a voice said behind Rolec. He quickly turned around, his eyes widening nervously. In front of him stood the chief of Theater Vancoor, Elwen.

"H-H-Hello, ma'am!" Rolec said, bowing swiftly.

Elwen chuckled slightly, putting her hand on Rolec's shoulder. "I know it must be frustrating not being assigned to a specific squad, but do not worry. Your day will come. Just have a little more confidence in yourself, okay?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am! I will, thank you very much!"

She looked at him for a moment and then walked up the stairs to her office. He realized what a fool he made of himself and kicked the wall softly, but hard enough to hurt his toes. He yelped and noticed Carlos, Gene, and Thanos were all staring at him. He laughed nervously, then quickly ran into the bathroom. He leaned against the sink, watching himself in the mirror as tears began to stream down his cheeks.

"You're such a fool," he sighed, rubbing his eyes.

Gene grew tired of listening to Carlos bitch about his contact lens, so he walked out of the building and into Yuri's restaurant next door. It was quite packed for a Wednesday; normally it didn't get busy until Friday or Saturday nights.

"Hello!" Yuri said, a bright smile on her face.

"Hey," Gene replied.

"Your usual table, Mr. Gene?"

"Whatever."

Yuri led Gene to the table closest to the door, handing him a menu. "Our special today is Tusky Mammoth Marinade. Mmm, doesn't that sound absolutely delish!" She emphasized by rubbing her stomach.

"Sure, whatever."

She smiled and walked off. "How is everything over here?" she asked to Conrad, Solo, and Marietta, who were sitting at the table right next to Gene's. "Can I get you some more pop?"

"No, just bring us the bill like we asked you ten minutes ago! God!" Conrad snorted. Yuri's smile faded and she returned to the cash register to print out their check.

"They should really hire another waitress here. I mean, only one for the entire building?" Marietta said.

"Yeah, an incompetent one at that," Conrad laughed. Solo joined in, but Marietta sighed. "Don't forget that I'm paying for your meal!" Conrad shrieked as he noticed Marietta's disdain. Marietta suddenly burst out laughing, causing the entire restaurant to stare at her.

Gene snarled at Conrad, who was laughing it away with his two brainless friends.

_This town is filled with idiots and fools_, Gene thought to himself.

Rolec was finally able to pull himself together. At least enough to walk out to the lobby again. He couldn't bring himself to look at Thanos. He knew Thanos saw right through him to the stupid, weak boy he really was. He got to the bulletin board and looked through the various jobs again for a few minutes. Dennis suddenly walked down the stairs and waved to Rolec.

"Hey, Rolec, how are you doing?" Dennis asked.

"Hi, Dennis!" Rolec said. He knew he sounded way more enthusiastic than he wanted to, but he didn't care. Dennis was the only one who took the time out to talk to him on a regularly basis. Whenever the two would see each other, they'd stop and chit chat. He was the only one Rolec felt comfortable talking to, and Dennis in a way felt the same. Dennis wasn't shy, he was just quiet and the others often had the tendency to speak over his soft voice, which annoyed him to no end. With Rolec, Dennis finally had someone to talk to that would listen to him. They weren't best friends by any means, but they enjoyed each others' company.

"I found the most beautiful flower the other day. I put it in Alicia's garden in her office," Dennis said.

"Really! That's amazing!" Rolec smiled.

"Yeah, you should come see it some time," he said, knowing Rolec wouldn't set foot in Alicia's office out of fear she might scold him, even though Alicia welcomes anyone into her office with open arms. He thought he'd give it a shot, and maybe Rolec might change his mind one day.

"I might!" Rolec said.

"Well, I'm going to get a bite to eat. You wanna come?"

"Umm...I mean, uh...I..."

"C'mon, it'll be fun!" Dennis said, grabbing Rolec's arm.

The next thing Rolec knew, he was at Yuri's Restaurant.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Dennis!" Yuri said, greeting her customers with glee. She didn't recognize Rolec, but she smiled and nodded towards him.

"Hi, Yuri. Pretty busy today, huh?" Dennis said.

"Yeah! It's usually not this busy on a Wednesday afternoon, but I'm not complaining," she laughed. "I'm afraid there's no tables upstairs available, would you mind sitting downstairs today?"

"No, not at all," Dennis said.

She sat them at a table directly across from Gene, right by the door. Rolec saw Gene sitting there and remembered that he saw how flustered he was during his conversation with Elwen. He blushed and looked away. He and Dennis sat down and Dennis removed his helmet, revealing his short, brown hair.

Conrad and his cronies were still sitting at their table. They paid their check, but they had nothing better to do but sit there and gossip. Once they saw Rolec enter, they had a field day making fun of him.

"Isn't that the guy who hangs around Theater Vancoor but isn't actually on any squad?" Solo asked.

"Yeah, he's a total wimp. I'm shocked the chief actually accepted him into the guild," Conrad laughed.

Rolec knew they were talking about him and as Dennis was speaking to him, he couldn't help but look down.

"Dennis..." Rolec started. "May...I ask you something?"

Dennis paused for a moment. "Sure, go ahead."

"Why hasn't the chief assigned me to a squad? I mean, the warrior guild puts fliers up everywhere and it seems like they'd take anyone. Why not me?"

"Don't be silly. You're _part_ of the guild," Dennis said, smiling. "It just takes a while to be placed."

"Two months?" Rolec asked.

"Just be patient," Dennis winked at him and started eating. Rolec glanced over at Gene. He wasn't sure if Gene was looking at him since he was wearing his helmet, but his head was turned towards Rolec's direction. He was somewhat slouched in his chair, so Rolec thought he might've been sleeping. He decided to test him and did his best "funny" face, sticking his tongue out to the side and widening his eyes. Gene turned his head to look away and Rolec realized he wasn't sleeping. He turned bright red and shifted away immediately.

_What an idiot,_ Gene thought to himself, but he couldn't help but smile.

After the meal, Rolec continuously thanked Dennis for inviting him to lunch and they went their separate ways. Dennis returned to Alicia's office to tend to the flowers, and Rolec's next destination was the infirmary in Theater Vancoor to rest and let his food settle. For some reason, his stomach couldn't hold large amounts of food.

As he was walking down the stairs of Theater Vancoor, he remembered he didn't thank Yuri for a wonderful meal, so he ran back to the restaurant.

"Back again so soon? You must have one healthy appetite," Yuri laughed.

"No, no! I just forgot to tell you before that you provided a wonderful service and meal! Thank you, thank you very much!" Rolec said, grabbing her hand and shaking it.

She laughed loudly, "Don't mention it!"

He smiled to himself, satisfied that he accomplished something. He walked out the door and figured he should go to the infirmary. He saw Gene leaning against the wall of Theater Vancoor and his heart began beating faster, remembering his "test" to see if Gene was sleeping or not. He turned around quickly but knew that Gene saw him. He sighed and turned around again, walking right towards the man.

"Excuse m-me...Gene, is it?" Rolec said, smiling nervously.

"..."

"I, uh, well, um...I'm really sorry for making such a horrible face to you in the restaurant! I meant no offense by it! It's just, you were so motionless and I thought you were sleeping and I didn't realize you were looking at me and I just wanted to apologize because I was wrong to do it and I understand if you hate me and it's okay if you want to beat me up!" Rolec shrieked, huddling together anxiously.

"You talk too much," Gene said.

"I'm sorry..."

"You're weird."

"I know...and a wimp...and stupid..."

"..."

"Is there any way I can make it up to you? I know! I'll buy your dinner for a week! W-Will...that settle things between us?"

"...I guess."

"Okay! How much does dinner cost, I'll give you the money right now!" Rolec reached in his back pocket for his wallet, pulling it out and counting some money.

"I...I thought you were going to...never mind," Gene said.

"What! Did I do something wrong! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Stop apologizing."

"B-But...I am sorry!"

Gene started to walk away, and Rolec began crying.

"Please don't walk away!"

"What?"

"I don't want you to hate me. Please, I'll make it up to you!"

Gene sighed, turning around and looking at Rolec. "Fine, you buy me dinner every night this week. And we'll be even. But, you have to...you have to go with me to dinner."

"B-But..." Rolec said. In his mind, he was wondering why Gene would ever want to sit down to dinner with someone like him, especially when he probably hated him.

However, in Gene's mind, Rolec's reluctance forced him to think Rolec didn't want to sit with _him_ during dinner.

"Just forget it," Gene said, turning away.

"No! I'll do it! It's just...I don't understand why you'd want to sit with me during dinner. I mean, the sight of me would probably make you sick..."

Gene smiled. "That's part of your punishment, then."

A few hours passed. The pair had agreed to meet up at Yuri's Restaurant around seven o'clock. Rolec spent the few hours pacing around his room. He was nervous of Gene. Maybe he wanted to expose him as the weakling that he is. Or maybe he wanted to make fun of him like Conrad and the others. Gene spent the time sitting in Theater Vancoor's lobby, trying to think of what he'd say to Rolec.

His thoughts quickly shifted to his friend from four years ago.

As seven o'clock rolled by, Rolec waited outside the restaurant nervously. He was fidgeting with his fingers, if he wasn't in his street clothes, he'd be dilly dallying with his helmet or sword or something. But here he was, standing like a fool in his favorite shirt and jeans.

A white-haired man in a pseudo-tuxedo walked up to him, nodding to him but never smiling.

"...Gene?" Rolec asked.

"Yeah."

"Oh! I never saw you with your helmet off, so I had no clue what you looked like!" Rolec noticed the tuxedo. "Is this a date?" he blurted out.

"..."

"I mean, uh, um, I..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Shall we go in?" Rolec said. He swung the door open and rushed inside. Yuri greeted them and took them to a table.

"What can I get you this evening?" she asked.

"I'll have the special, I guess...and my DATE will have..." Gene said, glaring over at Rolec with obvious contempt.

Rolec's jaw dropped and started shivering. "I-I-I-I'll have the same!"

Yuri giggled and walked off.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean anything by the whole date thing! I mean, I hope you weren't offended! It's just...I don't know, if it was a date, WHICH I'M NOT SAYING IT IS, I'd feel, um, a little underdressed," Rolec said. As he was ranting, he looked away from Gene out of fear. But since he was done, he looked back at him to see his expression.

It was pure anger.

"I MEAN, I'M SORRY!"

Gene's facial expression relaxed and he looked at the other customers in the restaurant. He wondered if they thought the two of them were actually on a date -- not that he'd care. They probably didn't even know what he looked like with his helmet off.

"So, um...you've been going to Theater Vancoor a while?" Rolec asked.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm not an official member, but the chief is looking into it, I guess."

"That's neat. I...well, I mean, I'm not...part of a squad yet."

"So?"

"...I dunno."

Gene sighed.

"I'm sorry..." Rolec said.

"For what?"

"...Being boring?"

"You don't even know what you're apologizing for?"

"Well...you sighed..."

"So?"

"So...you must've sighed because I'm boring."

"How do you figure?"

"...Because. That's how things work?"

Gene cracked a tiny smile and Rolec noticed this, calming down a bit.

"So...meet for dinner here tomorrow at seven again?" Rolec asked.

"I guess," Gene replied.

"Okay. Well, thank you for a...wonderful evening?" Rolec said, confused. "Aren't you supposed to kiss me now?" he said softly, under his breath.

"What was that!" Gene asked.

"N-N-N-N-Nothing!" Rolec shrieked. He extended his hand. Gene looked at his hand for a moment and then up at Rolec. He grabbed his hand and shook it heartily.

"Bye."

"S-See you tomorrow!"

They both went their separate ways. Rolec crept into his house. It was late and Gareth was already sleeping. Gene walked into the inn with a smile on his face.

"Hello, honey," Barbena said, yawning. "How was your day?"

"It was good, mom," he said. He pulled up a chair to her desk and sat down. "I made a friend today."

"Really? Oh, honey, I'm so happy for you! See, you're always down on yourself! You're a very likable boy, and anyone who can't see that doesn't deserve your friendship!"

"Yeah, I know..."

The next few days were pretty much the same thing. Rolec and Gene would see each other occasionally around Theater Vancoor, but would usually just acknowledge each other with a wave or a nod. Then, dinnertime came by and they would chat the night away, talking about anything and everything. Rolec eventually became even more comfortable with him than he was with Dennis, and Gene opened up to him more than he did anyone else at Theater Vancoor.

"What's your favorite animal?"

"I like monkeys. They're so cute and fuzzy! What about you?"

"Wolves."

"Is that because you're such a lone wolf?" Rolec laughed, poking Gene in the shoulder.

"Shut up."

"Wolves are cute...but kinda scary."

"At least they don't throw their feces."

They both began laughing.

Eventually, Gene suggested the idea that the pair go hunting just outside the castle gates. There wasn't anything too dangerous and it would be a beneficial training lesson for both him and Rolec. They met by the Echidna gate and travelled north.

"This is so exciting!" Rolec said.

Gene smiled and put his helmet on. "There. Over there. A giant ant," he said. "It should be easy enough for us to take on."

"Right!"

Rolec stood there, shaking slightly. He waited for Gene to make the first move, and when Gene dashed after the ant, Rolec followed. Gene's large sword slashed at the ant, cutting it's body into two.

"Hey! You didn't even give me a chance!" Rolec grumbled.

"I'll let you have the next one," Gene replied.

They walked a little farther out until they saw a bat flying about. Rolec jumped in front of Gene enthusiastically, holding his sword in the air.

"This one's mine!" he grinned. He charged after the bat. The bat noticed Rolec rushing towards it and squeeked, flying into the air. "Shoot! It got away!" Rolec sighed.

Suddenly, dozens of bats came flying at Rolec, pummelling him into the ground. He screamed and flailed his arms in the air, trying to shoo them away. Gene immediately ran to Rolec, using his sword to cut his way through the many bats. The bats fled and Rolec was left lying on the ground, his face scarred from the bats' fangs.

"Rolec! ROLEC, are you okay!" Gene shouted. He grabbed Rolec and curled up with him, embracing him tightly.

"I...I'm fine..." Rolec said, twitching slightly.

"I'll get you to the infirmary! Just hold on!" Gene said. Rolec heard his voice trembling as if he was crying. Then, he blanked out. Gene grabbed him in his arms and ran back to the infirmary in Theater Vancoor.

"It's nothing major," Bruce said. "Just a few bites. He lost a little bit of blood, but its nothing to worry over."

Gene sighed with relief, sitting right next to Rolec on a chair.

"It's getting a little bit late, though. I'm going to be heading home soon. I recommend Rolec stay here for the night, you're welcome to stay with him if you like."

"Okay..." Gene said.

"Well, goodnight," Bruce said, walking out the door.

Rolec burst into laughter. "I can't believe I got so freaked out over a few bat bites. I mean, really. Would Elwen ever do that? Or Gerald?"

"You're not Elwen or Gerald," Gene said, removing his helmet and setting it down next to Rolec on the bed.

Rolec smiled and rested his head on the pillow. "You...really don't have to stay, I mean...you must be tired..."

"No."

"...Thanks."

"..."

"Gene?"

"Yes?"

"I have a question..."

"What is it?"

"When you were carrying me back from the fields...were you crying?"

"..."

"I mean, you don't have to answer...it's just...I heard you whispering to yourself. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have listened, it's really none of my business, but...you mentioned someone...Jonathan, I think?"

"..."

"Who was he?"

"Just a friend."

"What made you think of him?"

"I don't want to talk about this."

"I'm sorry..."

Rolec closed his eyes for a few minutes. He couldn't fall asleep, but he felt comfortable with Gene sitting right next to him. After a few minutes, Gene finally broke the silence.

"Jonathan died."

Rolec opened his eyes and looked at Gene. "How?"

"...When I was fifteen, Jonathan was my best friend. We did everything together. But, he wanted to join Theater Vancoor and I wanted to join the Vareth Magic Institute. He told me he wanted us to be like Iron Slasher Gerald and Sprinting Shadow Nocturne once were. An unstoppable pair. When he found out I wanted to study in magics, he called me a pansy and never spoke to me again. He enlisted in Theater Vancoor and became a pretty well-known knight, taking any mission he could get his hands on. But...he was given a mission to go alone to the Echidna gate...and a group of thieves killed him. Ever since then, I felt like I had to join Theater Vancoor and become a knight...like he wanted me to do."

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Rolec said, grabbing Gene's hand. Gene was a bit taken aback by the gesture, but soon relaxed and sighed, staring off into space.

"I thought I could go back there...but seeing you get hurt in the same place Jonathan did...I couldn't bear it," Gene said. Tears started to trickle down his cheeks, and he covered his eyes in hopes that Rolec wouldn't see.

Rolec sat up and stroke Gene's hair. He leaned closer to him and wrapped his arms around his neck, hugging him warmly. Gene was surprised by this, but hugged Rolec back.

Then, Rolec pressed his lips against Gene's own trembling lips. Gene shot back in confusion.

"Wh-What are you doing!" Gene gasped.

"I-I-I..." was all Rolec could muster up.

Gene looked angrily dazed for a second, then got up from the chair and left the room, never saying a word.

Rolec fell backwards on the bed and started bawling his eyes out.

The two of them didn't speak for three days. Neither of them went to Theater Vancoor for the entire time. Rolec spent his days laying in his room and sobbing while curled up on his bed. Gareth was worried about him, but felt it would be intruding if he questioned him. Gene stayed in his room, sleeping and watching people from outside his window. He was very sick as a child, and he normally had to stay inside for fear the he might catch a cold. He felt like a prisoner then and the feelings came rushing back during those three days.

Eventually, Rolec had contacted his grandparents that lived in Alderwood. He had told them he didn't feel comfortable staying there anymore and that he wanted to come home. They agreed and sent him a train ticket back, so he spent the day packing.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door which made Rolec feel both anxious and excited. Gareth answered the door and it was Ms. Barbena.

"Hello, Gareth. Hi, Rolec," she said warmly, waving to the both of them.

"Hi there, Ms. Barbena," Gareth said. He glanced at Rolec and then back at her. "I was just leaving," he said, walking out the door and closing it behind him.

Barbena smiled at Rolec, who went back to packing his suitcases. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm packing. I...I'm moving back h-home with my grandparents," Rolec answered. Barbena's smile faded.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning."

Barbena sighed. "You know, you made my son very happy these past few weeks. He talks about you all the time. Well, talked about. Did something happen? He hasn't spoken a word to me in two days."

"...I-I don't know..." Rolec siad.

"Well...if you have the time, could you please stop by and visit him before you go? I'm sure it'd make him very happy."

"Gee...I might not be able to...I mean, I--"

"I understand," she said, smiling compassionately. "Well, have a safe journey." With that, she nodded to him politely and left.

Dennis spent the majority of his life searching for flowers to put into Alicia's room and his own. Tonight, he was placing a beautiful maroon flower into Alicia's office garden. He grinned to himself as he placed it in the perfect place.

"Hi, Dennis..." Rolec said, knocking on the open door a few times.

"Rolec! Wow, I never imagined you'd ever come here!" Dennis chuckled.

"Your garden is magnificent," Rolec said, smiling faintly.

"Is something wrong?"

Rolec paused for a moment. "I'm moving tomorrow morning...I just wanted to come say goodbye..."

"What? Why are you moving?" Dennis asked.

"I...Well, I mean...My grandparents think it'll be best for me if I go live with them for a while."

"Oh..." Dennis sighed. "Well, have a safe journey." He held his hand out and Rolec smiled, rushing forward and hugging the man. Dennis patted him on the back.

"Thanks," Rolec sighed. "For everything, I mean."

The two let go of each other and Rolec walked out, leaving a very lonely Dennis to tend to his flowers.

"Honey, you've been in your room for days. It's not healthy," Barbena said, knocking softly on her son's bedroom door.

"I told you, I don't feel well," Gene said.

"I saw your friend Rolec today," she said. There was silence, and then Gene opened his door.

"What did he say?"

"Oh, honey...he's moving away tomorrow morning." Barbena could see Gene's heart breaking even further by the expression on his pale face. She stepped forward and hugged him. "You should go see him off. You'll just be full of regret if you don't say goodbye...like with Jonathan." Gene shivered upon hearing his former best friend's name.

The next day, Rolec was awake quite early, gloomily gathering his things together. Gareth was awake, too, and usually by then he would be at Theater Vancoor's training grounds. Today, he stayed with his roomate to see him off. He figured nobody else would, and wondered if he was the closest person that Rolec had, even though they barely knew each other.

The pair walked alongside each other to the train station near Castle Radiata. As they entered the shopping square, they saw Conrad, Solo, and Marietta laughing to themselves, obviously at Rolec.

"Guess the loser finally realized that there's no place for him at Theater Vancoor!" Conrad gloated.

This was the last straw, Rolec's face turned red, but not from embarassment. He was pissed, and stomped over to Conrad.

"What the HELL is your problem, you fat cow!" Rolec screamed. Gareth's jaw dropped, as did Solo's and Marietta's. "You're one to talk, I don't see Thanos sending YOU on any missions, you overstuffed pile of GARBAGE! Just because your father is rich, you think you can step all over people and make them feel like CRAP!"

"Rolec, calm down," Gareth said, tugging his arm gently.

Conrad shivered, and Rolec finally eased up, realizing what he was saying. He blushed and covered his mouth, scurrying off. Gareth followed.

"Yeah, that's right, you better run!" Conrad shouted, laughing nervously. He turned to walk away when he saw a blue fist flying at his face, and was knocked out cold.

There were actually quite a few people at the train station and Rolec felt more nervous than ever, especially after screaming at Conrad.

"I can't believe you actually said all that to Conrad!" Gareth laughed, patting his roommate on the shoulder. "He had it coming, though. He annoys everyone at Theater Vancoor. Wait 'til I tell Carlos and the others about how you stood up for yourself!"

Rolec sighed and heard the train pulling into the station. "I guess this is it," he said.

"Well, I know we're not that close or anything, but I will miss you," Gareth said, shaking Rolec's hand.

"I'll miss you, too," Rolec sighed. He was very happy that Gareth was his roommate and not someone who would have made fun of him or criticized him every five seconds.

Rolec glanced around for a second in hopes of seeing _him_, but couldn't see him among the people seeing their friends and family off. He looked down and walked towards the train.

"I'm sorry my bags are so heavy," Rolec said, handing his bags over to one of the workers. He grabbed the handle and stepped onto the train.

"ROLEC!" a voice called out, and Rolec turned to see Gene standing right behind him, wearing his armor but not his helmet. They stared at each other for a moment and Rolec stepped off the train.

Without speaking a word, the two embraced each other in their arms.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean anything when I--" Rolec cried.

"Stop apologizing so much," Gene said, causing Rolec to laugh slightly. "Is...this what love is?"

"What?" Rolec asked.

"I...I feel like I can't live without you...I'm nothing without you. When we weren't speaking, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep...is that love?"

Tears began streaming down Rolec's eyes uncontrollably. "If that's love, I must be head over heels," he said.

And they kissed. It wasn't just one of them kissing the other, it was the both of them kissing each other with so much love and affection.

Gareth's eyes widened and he covered his mouth. Barbena smiled as she watched from afar. Conrad grunted and turned away, massaging his bruised jaw.

Gene and Rolec stood there for several minutes, embraced in each others arms, resting their heads on each others' necks.

"I'm sorry," Gene said.

"For what?" Rolec asked.

"Not coming to see you...I was so confused about the kiss. I never thought about love or anything, so I had no idea what I was feeling. But now I know..and I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing," Rolec snickered.

THE END


End file.
